Bible Society of South Africa
Gerhard Lindeque

Jesus in the Old Testament - Day 5

God of heaven and earth

Itekisi yeBhayibhile

EYEZIQALO 28

Iphupha likaYakobi eBhetele

10Wenjenjeya ukusuka eBheshebha uYakobi, esinga eHaran. 11Wafika ndaweni ithile, walalisa apho, kuba laliselitshonile ilanga. Uthathe ilitye, waqamela ngalo, walala. 12Waphupha ngathi ubona ileli esuka emhlabeni, yaya kuthi xhaxhe ngesibhakabhaka. Izithunywa zikaThixo zazisihla zinyuka ngayo. 13Wabona *uNdikhoyo emi ngakuye esithi: “NdinguNdikhoyo, uThixo kayihlo-mkhulu uAbraham noyihlo uIsake. Lo mhlaba ulele kuwo uya kumiwa nguwe nayinzala yakho. 14Inzala yakho iya kuba ngangentlabathi ubuninzi bayo. Yaye iya kuxanda, inabe kumacala onke. Zonke izizwe ziya kuthamsanqeliswa ngenxa yakho nenzala yakho. 15Ndiza kusoloko ndinawe, ndikukhusele naphi na apho uya khona, ndibuye ndikubuyisele kwakule ndawo. Andiyi kukushiya ndide ndizenze zonke izinto endizithembisileyo.”

16Akuphaphama uYakobi, wathi: “Ngenene uNdikhoyo ukho kule ndawo; ndibe bendingayazi loo nto.” 17Wangenwa luvalo kwaoko, wathi: “Hayi ukoyikeka kwayo le ndawo! Yindlu kaThixo le! Lisango lezulu eli!”

EYEZIQALO 28:10-17XHO96Vula kumfundi weBhayibhile

Jesus Christ came to teach us to think of God as our Father who is in heaven. God takes care of us like a father takes care of his children. We don’t need to be afraid of God. We can speak directly to God in prayer. Jesus Christ is the only way to access God the Father.

Jesus also assures us that all power in heaven and on earth belongs to him. He promises us that he is always with us, until the end of the world. It is a tremendous comfort to know that God is always in our presence, regardless of time and place. Sometimes, this can be a scary thought. Let’s look at Jacob.

Jacob was scared of God because he was deceitful. He tried to hide from God and from himself. However, he had a guilty conscience. In his dream, he comes to the shocking discovery that God has been with him all along – despite his dishonesty. God even makes a few promises to Jacob! When Jacob experienced God’s indescribable grace and comfort, it felt as if he had come home to God’s house. In his dream, he saw a stairway reaching from earth to heaven; it was a connection between heaven and earth. Heaven is open; God is not only in heaven, but also with us every day on earth.

Isn’t this wonderful news for us? God’s presence is not something we need to fear. There is nothing that can separate us from the love of God.

Psalm 139:7-10 puts it like this: “Where could I go to escape from you? … If I went up to heaven, you would be there. … If I flew away beyond the east or lived in the farthest place in the west, you would be there to lead me, you would be there to help me.”

Bible Society of South Africav.4.26.9
SIFUMANE KU-